Sole-leveling machine



W. C. BAXTER.

SOLE LEVELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION H11-:n FEB. 2|, i916.

Patented Feb. 15,11121.l

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

v Arll/ r l I I SOLE LEVELING MACHINE,

APPLlcATmN FILED FEE. 2l, 1915.

Mw.. Bamm Feb. 15,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. BAXTER, F IBEIIV'ELRLY,y MASSACI-IUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, 01T' PATERSON, NEWIER- SEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SOLE-LEVELING- MACHINE.

Application filed February 21, 1916. Serial No. 79,637.'

T 0 all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. BAXTER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county ofEssex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sole-Leveling Machines; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will. enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

The present invention relates to sole leveling machines of that classwhich comprise a shoe supporting jack and a sole leveling roll which arerelatively moved during the leveling operation to transfer the point ofoperation of the roll over the sole.

In operating on certain kinds of shoe stock with machines of this classit is desirable, if not absolutely necessary, to subject the sole toheat as well as to pressureA during the leveling operation. Alsosuperior results can be secured by varying the degree of heat to suitthe condition or character of any particular kind of stock..

The object of the present invention is to provide improved means forheating the leveling roll of a sole leveling machine whereby the heatwhich is applied to the sole may be accurately controlled and wherebythe degree of heat may be varied as may be necessary or desirable.

With this object in view the invention contemplates the provision of anelectric heating device for the roll and a rheostat or other suitablemeans for ,varying the degree of heat.

Other features of the invention consist in certain devices andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantagesof which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from an inspectionof the accompanying drawings and the detailed description of the machineillustrated therein.

The several features of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation ofan automatic sole leveling machine embodying the invention in itspreferred form; Fig. 2 is a plan of the leveling roll showing itselectrical heating connections; Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly insection, of the roll shown in Fig 2; and Fig. 4 is an end elevation ofthe roll shown vin Fig. 2.

The leveling machine shown in the drawings is substantially the same inits construction and operation of parts as the machine shown in myco-pending application Vfor a leveling` machine, Serial No. 750,326,

filed February 24, 1913, to which reference is hereby made. This machineis provided with a pair of jacks 10 on which are mounted the shoesupporting forms and a pair of leveling rolls 12 mounted in carriers 14and connected with yokes 16 .by which a vibratory movement is given tothe rolls. In leveling a sole, the shoe on a form, generally a last, isplaced on a jack, and the jack is oscillated to carry the sole back andforth under a roll 12. As the shoe is carried back and forth under theroll, the roll carrier is tipped to set the roll at diiferentinclinations in order to bring the point of application of the roll intoproper position for leveling the sole.

To heat the roll during its leveling operation. a pair of heatconducting blocks, heated by electrically generated energy, are held insliding contact with the roll. The roll 12, Figs. 2, 3 and 4, is looselymounted in the Ordinary manner upon a shaft 18. The ends of the shaftpass through the arms of the vibrating yoke 16 and are Lined in theusual sliding blocks 20. The heat conducting blocks 22 are mountedbetween the arms of the yoke 16 and the ends of the roll 12. To make aheat contact with the heat conducting blocks 22. each roll is providedwith a pair of cylindrical bores 24 which project far enough into thebody of the roll so that the heat from the blocks 22 will be uniformlydistributed over the outer surface of the roll. A chamber 28 is formedin the upper portion of each block in which is placed an electricalresistance heating unit 30, and the unit is held in place by means of aclip 32 which projects down across each end of the unit. (See Figs. 3and 4). A connecting bracket 34 projects out from each side of theheating block 22 and the blocks at the opposite ends of the roll areconnected together by means of tie rods 36 which are secured in opposingbrackets 34. To prevent the heating blocks from rotating with the rolls,a tie bracel 38 is attached at one end to the inner tie rod 36 and atthe other end to the yoke 16.

The electrical circuit for conducting electrical energy to the heatingunits 30 in the leveling roll consists of main conductors 40,- (Fig. 1)switch 42, rheostat 44, cable 46, and connecting rleads 48. rlhe mainconductors 40, switch 42, and rheostat 44, are

mounted upon an insulating panel whichkv is attached to the upper partof the machine frame. The cable 46 is connected at one end -to the panel50 and at the other end to a 58 are mounted uponthe tie brace 38' and ethe bracket 52 respectively for supporting the leads 48. These platesholdthe leads so that their connections with the units may be madeWithout interfering With the operation of the roll, and to prevent thevibratory movement of the yoke 16 relatively to the carrier 14 frombreaking their connections with the heating units. With the abovedescribed connections, the electric current passes through theconductors 40, to the switch 42, then through the rheostat 44, to thecable 46 and leads 48 into the heating units 30. An indicator 60 isplaced on the panel 50 to show when the current is being used. i f Y.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The main conductorsv 40being in a power circuit, the stv-itch 42 is closed and the rheostat setto give a full flow of current so that the rollstvill be quickly broughtto heat. After the rolls have come toa heat, the rheostat isset tocontrol the cur'- rent flowing to the heating units so ,that the desiredtemperature ymay be maintained in the rolls. A shoe is then placed on ajack 10 and leveled in theusual manner'. Then treating differentclassesl of shoe sole stock, the heat Should be varied in order to givesatisfactory results. In ordinary sole leather, which is held intemperWhile being leveled, the heat is increased proportionately to thethickness of 'thelsole' and 'is held at such a temperature that steamwill be generated from moisture in the sole and the heatpenetratefar'enoughnto thebody of the sole to alfectthe 'fibers ofthe sole soVthat it can be permanently moldedV into rollsin treating all theldiiierent grades'of stock Without' materially interfering` with Vratelycontrolling :the temperature of the the continuous operation of themachine.'-

It has been found that the pressure does'not have to be so'great' Whenemploying heat in order tov give the desired shape to the sole, and thatthe sole does not need to remain under pressure for a long period oftime in order to retain its molded shape.

The nature and scope of the present invention having been indicated anda machine embodying'V the invention in its preferred form having beenspecifically described, Whatis claimedas'nevv is A sole-leveling machinecomprising a shoe-supporting jack, a roll-carrier, a rollsh'aft,slidessupporting'opposite ends of the shaft, a vibratory yoke connetcedto the shaft, a leveling-roll loosely journaled upon the'shaftandhavingV chambers formed in the oppositeends, aheating-block receivedin each chamber and'having a recessed portion extending above the yoke,means for connecting both blocks with the yoke to hold the blocksagainst rotation, an electrical heating unit fitting Within the recessin each block, a clip mounted upon; the block and engaging `the unit fordetachably holding the latter 4in place, and connections between bothunitsV and an electricV circuit.

WILIAM C. BAXTER;

